Combined piano-player and phonograph.



Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER M. DAVIS, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

COMBINED PIANO-PLAYER AND PHONOGRAPH.

Application filed November 18, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER M. DAVIS, acitizen of the United States, temporarily residing at Paris, France,have invented a new and useful Combined Piano Player and Phonograph, ofwhich. the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined piano player and phonograph, andparticularly to devices for starting the player record in predeterminedrelation to the phonographic record.

In my prior Patent No. 958,730, dated May 21, 1910, I have shown meansfor producing a record of a vocal or other selection upon the disk orrecord-receiving element of a phonograph, and for simultaneouslyproducing a record of the piano accompaniment thereof upon therecord-sheet of a piano player. Having secured these simultaneousrecords it is evident that means must be provided for starting therecord of the accompaniment upon the player in predetermined relation tothe record of the selection upon the phonograph. In my prior PatentsNos. 958,731 and 1,013,589, dated May 24;, 1910, and Jan.'2, 1912,respectively, I have shown devices for starting the records in suchpredetermined relation, these devices comprising a separable connectionin the driving mechanism of the piano player and electromagnetic meansfor closing this connection, said means being controlled by a contactpiece inserted in the phonograph record. hen this contact piece cameinto relation with the metallic needle or stylus of the phonograph acircuit was closed which operated through the magnet to connect thedrivin" mechanism to the piano player.

t is the object of my present invention to improve upon the devicesshown in my prior patents, and to provide electrical means forcontrolling the operation of the driving mechanism of the piano playerwhich shall still be controlled by the phonographic record, but whichshall not involve the addition of special electrical contacts andconnections thereto.

Accordingly my invention contemplates the provision of electro-magneticconnections controlled by the vibration of the stylus of the phonographfor starting the player sheet in predetermined relation to the vocal orother selection upon the phonograph.

My invention further comprises certain devices, arrangements andcombinations of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

Serial No. 801,742.

by which the electro-magnetic circuit is con-- trolled.

In the drawings the record box of a piano player is indicated at 1,within which the record sheet 2 is mounted upon the spools 3 and 4, andis thereby caused to travel over the tracker-bar The spool 4 isseparably connected with a driving shaft 6 by I any suitable means, suchas the clutch members 7'and 8. The movable clutch 8 is conven tionallycontrolled by the lever 9 pivoted at 10, and having secured thereto thearmature 11.

An electro-magnet 12 is mounted in proximity to the armature 11 and isconnected with any suitable source of electricity, such as the battery13. In the circuit comprising the magnet 12 and the battery 13 isincluded a wire 14 which connects one terminal of the magnet coil to anyconvenient metallic portion of the sound box 15. The other terminal ofthe magnet coil is connected by a wire 14 to a contact piece 16 (Fig.2,) which is mounted upon a bracket 17 secured to the sound box of thephonograph, the battery 13 being inserted at any convenient point ineither of the conductors 14 or 14. The conductor 14* and the contactpiece 16 are electrically insulated from the bracket 17 and the soundbox 15.

Secured to the sound box is the usual diaphragm 18 which is acted uponby any suit-- the phonographic record and the player sheet will move atpredetermined relative speeds. Any sultable driving means may be used,one form of such mechanism being shown in my prior Patent 958,281.

The normal or inoperative position of the parts is shown in Figs. 1 and2, in which position the record-sheet should be adjusted so that theperforations corresponding to the first notes of the accompaniment willbe situated. just above the openings in the trackerbar, the clutchmembers 7 and b are separated, and the needle 19 is placed at the beg o"the phoi'iographic record.

it is customary in taking phunographic records to start the receivingelement somewhat in advance of the beginning of the selection, and it isclear that the starting n echanisni the player device should be soactuated that movement shall be imparted to the recordsheet in tunedrelation to the actual commo einent of the phonographic selection. birththe parts in the position shown, the needle 19 will not he vibrateduntil the shunt depressions or gularities in the co .istituting the recrd if each the needle. d nen these dcpressi ns begin to vibrate theneedle, the vibrations will be communicated to the arm 22 and will throwthe upper end of the arm to the left, thereby closing theelectromagnetic circuit and throwing the movable clutch member 8 intoengagement with the clutch member 7 to the player mechanism.

It is sometimes desn .ble to start the pl 'ecord somewhat bci' re thebeginning oi. the renographic sleetion, and this reanilt may we attainedb providing special depressions or protuberances upon the record dish inadvance of the record itself. Such irregulariin the dish are indicated.in exaggerated n at 9.6 in 2.

aving thus described my invention, it is ol nous that many changes andcodifications tl erect can be made by one skilled 1n n'it the artWithout departing from the s llopies of this patent may be obtained andscope of my invention, and I do not Wish to be limited to the detailsherein disclosed, but

W hat I claim is 1. The combination of a piano player and a phonograph,means for driving them at predetermined relative speeds, andelectrically actuated means controlled by the phonograph record forstarting the player, said latter means comprising a controlling magnet,and an operating circuit therefor, one terminal or said circuit beingconnected to a contact piece supported upon, but insulated from thephonograph sound box, and the other terminal being electricallyconnected to a conducting member forming a part of the operating circuitand pivotally supported upon the sound box, one end of said member beingnormally adjacent but out of ecartact with said contact piece, and theother e d extending into the path of a vibrating element of thephonograph, the Vibration thereof by the record moving the conductingmember against the contact piece and closing the magnetic circuit tostart the player.

'lhc combination of a piano player and a phonograph, means for dr vingthem at predetermined relative speeds and electrically actuated meanscontrolled by the phonograph record for starting the piano player,

llriLT CR M. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

Henson 0. Cone,

JACK l'l. BAKER.

for five cents each, by addressing" the Commissioner of Eaten'ts,

Washington, I C.

